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US set to double bin Ladin booty

The US House of Representatives has voted to raise the reward for information leading to the capture of Usama bin Ladin to $50 million.

20 Mar 2004 08:20 GMT

The al-Qaida leader is the world's most wanted fugitive

The bill passed on Thursday also sanctioned a large increase in rewards for information on other suspected ''terrorists'' and for helping to disrupt ''terrorist financing networks including narcotics trafficking.''

It gives the State Department authority to raise the reward for information on bin Ladin to $50 million from $25 million and raises the maximum reward for information on suspected terrorists or narco-terrorists to $25 million from $5 million.

To better appeal to people in remote, rural areas, the bill says rewards could be paid in the form of vehicles, appliances, commodities and other goods instead of cash.

The bill also calls on the Bush administration to draw up a plan to maximize publicity on the reward for information leading to bin Ladin's capture.